Managing The Emotional Aspects Of A Chronic Illnesses

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Chronic illnesses are thought of as conditions lasting over a year requiring constant treatment or monitoring and causing functional disruptions. These include a wide spectrum of mental and physical concerns such as diabetes, heart disease, depression, schizophrenia etc. Statistics suggest that about 45 percent of the American population is living with a chronic disease (Raghupathi & Raghupathi, 2018). More often than not physical and mental conditions co-occur which further complicates the diagnosis and treatment. Individuals diagnosed with a chronic condition are at a higher risk of developing affective disorders such as depression and anxiety, however in treatment these emotional consequences are overlooked (Mental Health America, 2023).

Turner and Kelly (2000) elaborated the emotional aspects of a chronic illness. Along with changes in lifestyle, job and routine, chronic illness diagnoses may be met with intense emotions such as grief. Being diagnosed with a chronic illness might cause a certain degree of distress. It might become difficult to draw the line between such distress and significant impairment of a ...
... mental illness. Certain symptoms such as disturbed sleep and appetite might be a precondition of the chronic illness which either overlap or are exacerbated with the onset of a mental health illness. Moreover, the mental health illness itself can lead to further deterioration of physical health. New symptoms might also arise which indicate an underlying mental health issue. For instance, pseudoseizures in epilepsy can hint at underlying adjustment challenges or distress. The treatment plan might pose challenges such as drug interference and side-effects which become an impediment to recovery. Moreover, the mental health disorder itself can be a barrier to seek treatment. Ethical constraints might arise when clients are unable to retain their full capacity to consent to a given line of treatment.

In addition to these emotional effects, there can be other ramifications of living with a chronic disease. It might feel like a double burden in lower socio-economic strata where this is complicated by financial worries, traumatic life events and social issues resulting in impaired life quality (van Wilder et al., 2021). The effects can go beyond the individual and spill over to close familial ties and their financial, work, leisure, emotional and social dimensions. This indirect burden is often underestimated (Golics et al., 2013).

Below are some thoughts that can trigger adverse emotions
(Golics et al., 2013; Linda, 2022; Murphy & Robinson, 2008)

Depression: “Life will never be okay”, “This is unbearable”, “They are too unwell”
Anger and resentment: “Totally unfair”, “You’re not helping at all”, “Can we not go back to normal?”
Fear and anxiety: “Will this get worse”, “How to afford this”, “Is death inevitable”
Shock and Denial: “Why me”, “Where did this come from?”, “There is a mistake.”
Guilt and helplessness: “I am not doing enough”, “I am totally responsible”
Exhaustion and burnout: “So much time goes into this”, “ I am not sleeping well”

Now that we have an insight into some of the thought patterns that cause emotional disturbances, understanding strategies to manage them may be relevant
(Schwartz, n.d., Sprich et al., 2020; van Wilder et al., 2020).

1. Information and Solution-finding: Talking to the health providers about the treatment plans available and discussing the pros and cons of the alternatives available can be helpful.

2. Spotting thinking errors: Predicting the most negative outcomes, thinking of events as ‘bad’ or ‘good’, jumping to negative conclusions or assuming what others are thinking are some errors that can lead to negative emotions.

3. Digging for evidence: Looking for how true or accurate your thoughts are can allow you to understand the rationality of your thoughts. While sometimes the thoughts may be rooted in reality, reflecting if holding such beliefs helps you move forward can be helpful.

4. Restructuring thoughts: Forming alternative ways to think and practicing it can lead to healthier emotions.

5. Activity scheduling: Engaging in positive distractions, while monitoring the consequences can help in pacing out your routine and allow for adequate rest. This can be rewarding and allow an individual to be more mindful.

6. Autonomy and Identity: Acceptance of diagnosis and the new identity is a key step in moving on after being diagnosed. Pondering over what self-care strategies can be applicable in managing the illness, can help you become independent.

7. Relationships: Help-seeking and collaboration from your support circle can guide you in achieving the necessary changes. Talking to fellow sufferers and connecting with your faith can aid in instilling hope and courage to endure the challenging times.

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